Throughout the human body there are lumens, such as the esophagus and colon, which may have components which may become metaplastic or neoplastic. Often, it is desirable to remove or destroy these unwanted tissues. One of these cases where tissue removal and/or ablation are desirable is Barrett's Esophagus, which is a pre-cancerous condition of the esophagus typically often associated with gastric reflux disease (GERD). Although GERD can be medically controlled, Barrett's Esophagus does not spontaneous resolve once the GERD has abated. However, it has been shown that if Barrett's Esophagus is ablated, the normal esophagus lining can be restored and therefore lower the risk of developing esophageal cancer.
A variety of techniques have been evaluated for ablation of this condition. These techniques include photodynamic therapy, endoscopic resection of the lining of the esophagus, and ablation using a variety of energy sources such as argon plasma coagulation (APC), radio-frequency (RF) and cryogenic via a direct spray of liquid nitrogen.